London stage regulars Clive Rowe, David Burt, Hadley Fraser, Edward Petherbridge and Paul Hunter will lead the cast of new musical The Fantasticks when it opens at the Duchess theatre this summer.
They are joined by Lorna Want, Luke Brady and Carl Au.
The show, which set the record for the world’s longest running musical during its run of nearly 50 years in New York, tells the story of two fathers who use cunning reverse psychology and a dividing wall to ensure their children fall in love.
Rowe and Burt, who play the plotting fathers, are both experienced stage performers. The versatile Rowe won a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance as Nicely Nicely Johnson in the National Theatre production of Guys And Dolls, is the regular Dame in the Hackney Empire pantomime and recently appeared as Feste in the Open Air theatre’s 2009 production of Twelfth Night. Burt has a host of musical credits to his name, among them The Woman In White, Chess, Closer To Heaven, Candide and The Far Pavilions.
Fraser, who starred alongside Burt in The Far Pavilions, has previously appeared in London productions of The Pirates Of Penzance, Peter Pan and Les Misérables, while Want’s London outings include Footloose and Evita.
Petherbridge is best known for non-musical roles, having worked with Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre Company, the Royal Shakespeare Company and been a founding member of the Actors’ Company. He is no newcomer to musicals, however, counting among his previous performances The Woman In White and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Hunter is the co-founder and co-Artistic Director of influential theatre company Told By An Idiot whose credits include Shakespeare’s Globe productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Under The Black Flag.
The Fantasticks opens at the Duchess theatre on 9 June, after previews from 24 May. It follows the current revival of Henrik Ibsen’s drama Ghosts, which stars Lesley Sharp, Iain Glen and Harry Treadaway.
MA